Walt Monegan talked about integrity and ethics and leadership. He spoke softly - I hope it comes out on the video - and the words came from his heart. You could tell. And he knew what he was talking about.
Phil Munger asked him about the Rural Domestic Violence Prevention program he was working on, and it was clearly state of the art, recognizing that this was not simply a police issue. It included a Trooper cadet program for 18-21 year olds in rural Alaska. They would take on some of the community outreach tasks and other work that would free up Troopers to focus on other issues. It included teams of retired, but well qualified officers and judges.
He also fielded questions about running for higher office. He didn't say no. He said things like - "I like that kind of challenge - new things coming at you all the time" and "My wife and I are discussing it."
The video is about 13 minutes of the 70 or so minutes he spoke. By now I'm sure the television station there has broadcast the best soundbites, so I'm going to just play the whole thing. I think it's better that way anyway. This is not a superficial soundbite guy. I think we're about to see a lot more of Walt Monegan.
But also a note of caution. We tend to think what we need in leaders, in new employees, by what we didn't like in the last one. The Sarah Palin we saw in her VP candidate role seemed to morph into a person who was far more interested in furthering her own career than looking after the people of Alaska. I don't think that will happen to Monegan. Also, since Palin fired Monegan and then her minders tried to trash him (I think I heard the word rogue a couple of times), there's a natural tendency to compare the two. After all, we are still left with which one you believe - Palin or Monegan?
Watch the tape, then watch any tape you want of Palin and see which one you have most confidence in.
NOTE: The video freezes around 5:40, but the audio goes on fine. I'll post it as is for now and try to get a corrected video up soon. But it's a busy week.
